Folding bed chair



Jan. 13, 1959 J. B FBOLTON 2,867,821

FOLDING'BED CHAIR Filed 001;. 29, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

Jimmie 8. Bolton INVENTOR.

Jan. 13, 1959 J. B. BOLTON 2,867,821

I FOLDING BED CHAIR v I Filed Oct. 29, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jim/hie 8. Bolton I N VEN TOR.

FOLDING BED CHAIR Jimmie B. Bolton, Columbia, La.

Application October 29, 1956, Serial No. 618,981

2 Claims. (Cl. -332) The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a portable and folding chair of a highly compact convenient and practical type which is expressly constructed and designed for use on and in association with a bed and which relies upon the mattress of the bed as a seat for the user.

The invention, somewhat more specifically stated, has to do with a structurally and functionally novel folding frame which is characterized, broadly construed, by base means which rests upon and exposes a portion of. the bed mattress and which is provided with hold-down straps. A hingedly mounted back-rest cooperates with the base structure and folding or collapsible arm rests contribute in providing the principal parts of the overall frame' structure.

In an effort to accommodate and meet the requirements of invalids, hospital patients and other users, added accessories are provided and effectually incorporated. That is to say, a restraining and supporting, chestembracing harness or strap is provided on the back-rest. One of the arm rests, if desired, may be provided with an attachment to assist the user in resting a book thereon for reading or a tablet or paper for writing, and so Novelty is predicated on simple and practical base means which is characterized by a metal, or an equivalent, U-shaped base frame, the legs of which have rails attached thereto and the rails being provided at their opposite ends with attaching and anchoring straps.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description of the details and the accompanying sheets of drawings.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete, ready-touse folding bed chair constructed in accordance with the principles of the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, with the components or parts folded into compact, easy-to-liandle form;

Fig. 3 is a lengthwise section on the longitudinal line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a central view partly in section and partly in elevation based somewhat on Fig. l, but showing how the chair looks when it is erected for use on the mattress of the bed;

Fig. 5 is a section on the vertical line 55 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view having an arm rest attachment such as may be handily used by the patient or other user in an obvious manner.

Referring now to the drawings and especially the parts of the structure individually and collectively, the base means (Fig. 1) is characterized primarily by a substantially U-shaped frame 8. This may be a lightweight, but rigid aluminum tubular member embodying a curvate bight portion and a pair of coplanar, linearly straight tions of the rails are provided with slots 20 m accom- 7 2,867,821 f! Je i-1. .3, 1

2 legs 12. Thenumerals 14 designate a pair ofelongate wooden or equivalent strip members of fsuch'lengtlijthat they will ordinarily extend across the full width of the bed mattress 16 in the manner shown in Fig. 4. These are parallel to each other and'are also in a common plane and are suitably secured at 18 to the respective legs 12. In fact, they parallel the outer sides of the legs and therefore provide a reliable base for reception and retention on the bed mattress. The'opposite end. porjtnodate buckle-equipped straps 22 which are releasably connected with the side members of the bed frame, for example, the angle iron members 24, as shown in Fig. 4. Naturally, when this base means is applied and strapped on the bed, it exposes the mattress between the legs 12 and, consequently, provides a satisfactory seat for the patient or other user.

A next significant part of the over-all structure is that which may be unitarily designated as a back-rest 26. This comprisesa suitable back structure 28 mounted on and carried by a second substantially U-shaped frame also characterized by the bight portion 30 and apair of complemental limbs 32 which are suitably shaped and have their lower ends hingedly connected, as at 34, to the legs 12, whereby the back-rest may be swung up to v the vertical position for use as seen in Figs. 1, 4 and 5 or may be swung down to the out-of-the-way folded position shown best in Figs. 2 and 3. Suitable harnessing means, if needed, may be used to assist in supporting and restraining the patient in the manner shown-in phantom lines in Fig. 4. This comprises a broad leather or equivalent chest band 36 having one end connected by straps 38 to one of the limbs 32. The free end has additional straps 40 which are arranged to be releasably connected with the buckle-equipped companion straps 42 on the left-hand limb 32, as seen in Fig. 1.

As a further aid to the comfort and safety of the user, arm rests are provided. These arm rests are denoted at 44, and they are hingedly connected at 45 to the limbs 32 of the back-rest. At their outer ends they are provided with struts or the like 46 which are hingedly connected at their upper ends, as at 48, to the 'arm rests and at their lower ends, as at 50, to the legs 12. This arrangement provides a satisfactory and firm construction for the arm rests and also allows the arm rests and back-rest to fold from the position seen in Fig. l to that seen in Fig. 2.

When the folding primary parts 8 and 26 are set up for use in the manner seen in Figs. 1 and 4, a serving and eating tray 52 may be employed in connection therewith if desired. Also, as shown in Fig. 6, it is within the purview of the invention to attach a fiat, paddle-like plate or the like 54 to one of the arm rests to provide support means for a writing tablet, for use as a bookrest, or in any manner in which it may handily serve the needs of the user of the invention.

Whereas the illustration in Fig. 1 will suffice to clearly show the details, their construction, association and arrangement, Fig. 4 will assist the reader in visualizing just how the chair is used in connection with the bed and mattress. As evident from Fig. 4, the base means rests atop the mattress and exposes sufficient of the mattress that it constitutes the seat for the user. By attaching the base means in the manner illustrated, the user may sit on the bed, so to speak, and dangle his legs over the edge of the mattress or perhaps rest the same on a beside-the-bed stool or the like (not shown). The back-rest and arm rests, plus the harness means, provide satisfactory propping and support means for the patient. In practice, it has been found desirable to also utilize stays or braces, which are denoted in the drawings by the numerals 56, and which are pivotally connected at 5 8 attlieir upper 'ends to the intermediate portions of the respective arm rests and have their lower ends slotted at 60 and bolted as'at 62 to the lower portion of the limbs of the U-shaped frame 26. Reverting td th'e back-rest and particularly theiportitih be shoulder high an flm'a beeither lower or higher In many instances it"maybetter' serve the needs" of the user to have'the back-rest sufficiently high 'to serve as a head re'st too. In f act, it is thought that a'separate head rest (not shown), could be added and could be construed as being a component of back-rest means broadly construed."

5 It is th'oiightpthat by comparing the severalfigures in 1. A portable folding bed'chair comprising' apair of j elongatedcoplanar sp'aced parallelrigid rails adapted'to rest atop a bed mattress and provided at their'respective ends with' adjustable strap means whereby therails'may be attached to and removably' anchored on frame mem- 1 b'ers'of the bed, aU-shaped member having a bight portion and legs, said: U-shaped member being horizontally interposed between said rails and having itslegsfastened to the inner lengthwise edges'of the respective rails", said legs being'spaced apart sufiicie'utly to expose th'e'm'at- 4, tress so that the exposed portion of the mattress may provide a seat for the user of the chair, a'folding'ba'ckrest embodying a second U-shaped member having a bight portion and limbs, said limbs being hingedly connected with the median portions of the legs of the first named U-shaped member, arm rests hingedly connected at one end to median portions of the respective limbs, struts pivotally connected at their upper ends to said arm rests and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the legs of the first named U-shaped member, and a broad chest-embracing and patient retaining band having strap means at its ends connected to the limbs of the second named 'U-shaped member in a plane above said arm rests. 2. The structure defined in claim 1, and wherein the ends of the rails are provided with slots and said strap means comprises individual straps removably and adjustably mounted in their respective slots, and wherein the ends of the arm rests adjacent tothe limbs of the second named Ll shape'd member are pivotally' connected to median portions of said lirnbs' an'd dis posedagainst the outward sides of'the' 'lim bsso th'at'the 'arm rests are thus positioned directly-above and are foldabledown onand in superpdse drelation' in respect to' the rails. 

